Hôtel Clos des Limbas

Location: 4 rue des limbas, Bujumbura, BI

Star Rating: 3 Stars

Property Type: Hotels

About this Property

Policies

Check-in: N/A - Anytime

Check-out: N/A

Amenities & Facilities

• Free breakfast
• Free WiFi
• 24-hour front desk
• Terrace
• Garden
• Luggage storage
• Continental breakfast
• Designated smoking area
• Wheelchair accessible
• Free breakfast
• Free self parking
• Free continental breakfast
• Fully fenced
• Change of towels (on request)
• Change of bed sheets (on request)
• Well-lit path to entrance

Guest Reviews

• Erich (2/5): The aworst "Hotel" Ever! - It is not a hotel, it is someones residence and the owners are having wrangles over the property. My stay was interrupted for days, i need a refund.
• FrannieCheska (4/5): So much potential, yet very disappointing - Unfortunately many things weren't working in our room upon arrival (AC & internet). On top of that, there was mould and water stains in the built in robe from the AC continuously dripping significant amounts of water (they eventually gave us a bucket to catch the water, even after a technician had come to 'fix it' it still leaked). Both leather couches were also covered in mould stains, we had to ask for them to be removed. At the time of booking and on the first day of our stay, we were told the breakfast was complimentary for us (family of 4), but near the end of the stay (when we asked for a discount due to the condition of the room being damp and mouldy) they tried to tell us the breakfast was free for only one of us, yet we were paying room rates equivalent to 4 people...They also told us we had been ordering things for breakfast not included as complimentary, but no breakfast menu was ever provided - we had to ask what was available every day and they provided it to us without ever giving us a bill or telling us we had ordered something that wasn't complimentary. I found this to be very deceptive. When we asked for a reduction in the room rate as compensation for the leaking water/damp/mould issues, the owner and manager were very elusive, and we never had our issue resolved before we left. So we emailed after leaving and still no response over 1 month later. This hotel has so much potential, it's a shame the owner doesn't seem to care for it or it's guests.
• Verified traveler (2/5): - There is no standard maintained
• Jorgen (8/5): - Dette stedet vokste veldig på meg. Litt usikker i begynnelsen, men det endte med at vi tok en natt ekstra og følte oss godt tatt vare på. Lite hotell med få gjester, så du føler du har stedet for deg selv ++
• Ayo78 (8/5): great discovery - A hidden gem in Bujumbura. This family business hotel offers it all... swimming pool in the gardens, nice, quiet and clean spacious rooms. Simple set up but effective. 50usd per person including breakfast, you couldn't ask for anything better. If you dine at hotel you should inform waiter in advance as they tend to take sometime to prepare the meal (1 hour average), but if you know it you can work around the clock by ordering in time. Fish and steak are great. Will be back here when in Bujumbura.
• Sightsee625953 (10/5): Spent a wonderful month here - This place was like a small paradise for me. The food (breakfast and dinner) was beyond excellent, the service very friendly, the surroundings beautiful and the room always clean (with same day laundry included). The owner and his wife went the extra mile, offering free drinks, inviting colleagues over for free/discounted dinners, and even inviting me to social events around town. Highly recommended!
• zambiakaren (10/5): we were spoiled here! - The grounds are beautiful, and the atmosphere is really calm. The staff, including the owners, were very welcoming and generous (i.e. willing to negotiate room price and offering a glass of wine on the house). The pool was very well-maintained, and the food, both breakfast and dinners, were excellent! Wifi was okay, and so was the AC in the room. Plenty of hot water!!! We loved the variety of outdoor seating areas and the easy access to the city. Would love to come here again!
• 754filipr (10/5): A hidden gem in Bujumbura - I'm currently staying here, and almost everything is great about this hotel. Although close to the city centre, its dense garden makes you feel somewhere in lush nature outside. It's very quiet (actually many people, even Bujumbura old hands, don't even know it exists), and so ideal for discreet meetings, The pool is gorgeous, specially during the evening. Rooms are pleasant and tidy. WIFI works. The staff is kind and efficient, and once you get to know the owner Jacques a bit better, he's not as bad as some reviewers suggest. The architecture is cosy and attractive. Good value for money. And now let's hope not too many guests come flocking in here and disturb my peace.
• naderbarrak (10/5): Way Better than expected! - Traveled as a couple, we were too skeptical about the previous reviews & about the owner, well the managers (husband & his wife from french or Belgian origin) are amazing people! offered us a bottle of champagne on the first night, helpful whenever u need them (they send the internet company employee because we complained about the internet connection), even they were way friendly with their stuff... couldn't rate it less than excellent when comparing it to other hotels in Bujumbura, of course if compared to International standards the rating has to be slightly less but still... For 130$ a night we had a suite, breakfast included, laundry for free, wireless internet (although the internet service in Burundi is still poor),pool, + a jacuzzi in the room (which amazing & value added). the hotel is very intimate, greenery surrounding the place.& again the way the owners or managers are kind people is really off the hook, we had to check out by 11 am but we stayed until 7 pm & they were more than welcoming... they know what Customer care is all about. will definitely come back to this place & the rating of the place should be much higher.
• Lyiia (4/5): Beautiful but... - Everything could be great: the room was beautiful, the pool is really nice, the area is calm... but the atmosphere is really unpleasant and heavy. I felt quite uncomfortable and really didn't have a restful week end. I guess it is just not for me!
• sjt2008 (6/5): Gorgeous hotel, hideous owner! - I stayed at this hotel for two nights and it is beautiful. If you have a car, it's about five minutes from the heart of Bujumbura (central market, Havana and Toxic nightclubs, Aroma coffeehouse, etc) and I found its location just off a main road terrific. Despite the fact that it was next to a central, busy road, it was completely quiet and calm within the grounds. I found the hotel to be totally gorgeous with equally gorgeous gardens and a cute swimming pool. If you're an animal lover there are also two large dogs who love to come to sit at your feet. I found the rooms also very nice and unique - very, very pretty architecture and details. However, the owner is insane. He lives in the hotel and has his own private couch where he sits most of the day to survey all movements and chain smoke cigarettes. His staff are terrified of him (they said this to us themselves!) and he makes life a living hell for them and - on a regular basis - his clients. One morning I came out to find him sitting in his personal chair (looking very much like King Leopold must have looked on the throne) and one of his staff was bent over cutting his fingernails. His behavior is laughable and truly colonial. Despite being told our breakfasts were included (and it also says so on the door of each room which includes information about the hotel), he tried to charge us 40 USD for the two mornings we had breakfast. He literally screamed at my husband to pay him immediately ("tout de suite!!!!!") and refused to take off the 40 USD. He's totally insane. So overall the hotel was gorgeous and the Burundian staff (mostly young women) were terrific, but the owner ruined the entire experience. I look forward to the day he sells the hotel and the new owner is sane and lives in the modern day. When that happens, this hotel will be five stars in my book.
• marcimpala (8/5): Best Hotel in Bujumbura with a Big But... - I stayed here for 2 weeks and was simply blown away by the beautiful grounds, stunning architecture and friendly staff. There truly is no other hotel like it in the city. The owners truly know their client (mostly expats from international organizations) and what they want. It's the type of place where you feel right at home, quite a contrast from the remarkable poverty which is found just beyond the gate. I had a smaller room (80/night) on the ground floor which was nice enough. It had AC and a large bathroom. The rooms upstairs are the best with beautiful verandas and flat screen TVs. The meals are the best I've had in the city and served on nice china. The hotel is not open to outside guests so it feels very intimate. The manager even made a special order of frogs legs for me one night (I had always wanted to try). You are usually met by a peppy young fella who is the son of the owner and is eager to please. He also has a fantastic dog that enjoys playing with guests. Evenings around the lobby are quiet with the owner's friends often coming in for a visit. Overall, the atmosphere is that of chic lodge. Now for the big but. As you may have noted in other reviews, the owner (an older francophone man and architect of the hotel) verbally abuses his staff and, for all intents and purposes, is blatantly racist. You see this a lot in Bujumbura when you meet the older generation of Belgians/French who settled here. They are similar to the Afrikaans South Africans who basically view indigenous people as inherently inferior. I will admit, I was disturbed by his behavior. Fortunately, this type of thinking is dying out with the newer generations so it's up to the guest on how they may view it. I would go back, if only to reap my own praise on the excellent staff and help them realize that the majority of people in the world have long overcome the colonialist past.
• Honthorst (8/5): Great place within moderate distance to the town centre - I really enjoyed this hotel, nice grounds, friendly staff and the manager was very personable, as well. Rooms were clean, prices vary between $80 (USD) and $117 (USD), I wouldn't recommend any of the rooms towards the back of the hotel as they are dark and cramped but most of the other rooms are quite nice and roomy, especially the ones overlooking the garden. They have mosquito netting over the bed, air conditioning, internet access and satellite television. Breakfast is included in the price of the room and is quite substantial. For breakfast you start off with a fruit salad, coffee/tea as well as juice (generally pineapple) and then you can order yoghurt (if available), an omelette, toast and/or croissant with jam. If you are staying here for a while the breakfast does get a little repetitive but you can check with staff and they will usually let you special order crepes or whatever you want the day before. I know that they offered lunch as well as dinner at an extra cost. I never was around for lunch but stayed for dinner a few times which cost $20 USD (drinks non-alcoholic and alcoholic are extra but both varities are cheap by Western standards). The dinner was very nice, normally comprised of three courses (soup, main dish, and dessert) just make sure to alert staff in the morning or afternoon that you plan to be in for dinner. They normally had a selection of three mains to choose from and the quality of the food was very good. You can always finds something cheaper in Bujumbura but if you don't feel like venturing out this is a great alternative. All in all I did enjoy this hotel, the only draw backs are the hotel is not in the city centre you have to take a taxi into Bujumbura (I wouldn't recommend walking) which costs about 2500-3000 BIF and the hotel as with many places in Bujumbura only accepts cash in USD, EU, and GBP.
• saint77777 (2/5): grossly over-priced - zero service, the arrogant + incompetent French (or Belgian) manager seemed unable to manage the few rooms they have at the hotel as nobody cleaned my room and after 3 requests for fresh towels, still never happened. For USD 118 a night, for a place in the middle of nowhere with a mediocre breakfast, a very poor value. Non-french speakers definitely do not seem to be welcome.
• Tony-Alb (10/5): Nice and safe place to stay - Thanks Jack - 2010 May 2 - 16. I stayed two weeks in this hotel wich is probably the best place where may stay in Bujumbura (I tried all of the most important other hotels overthere before). Very nice environnement, any convenience, fresh food, good cuisine, safe in every room, wireless, high price but everything included (even cleaning of clothes), etc. Jack the boss Is a demanding person really not as described as some of my colleagues said but for sure cannot bear very bad educated persons :(( --(so don't I...). It means if you're just normally established you will enjoy a lot this place. I specially recommend Le clos des Limbas to middle and high managers. Tony (Brussels)
• slopers (2/5): back to the colonial times - You remember Leopold 3 back in the colonial times. Well if you go to this hotel you will get good impression how native people where treated back in the days. I have seen a lot of ####***### people on my trips around the world, but the owner of this place is really the worst . The place is very beautiful and the staff is extremely nice and friendly. But DON’T GO THERE. The staff is treated like dirt and i don't think they are payed well at all.
• Mattijsens (2/5): If you want to meet a führer like Adolf Hitler, please book this hotel - This hotel was recommended by the amabassy of Belgium in Bujumbura. The hotel is really ok, but the manager is the worst guy I ever met. I travel all around the world, also a lot of times in Africa, but I never met a boss like this. He shouts to his personnel from 7h in the morning until 22h00 in the evening. Please, believe me, if you will book this hotel ... this will be the worst guy you will ever meet in your life. I can not understand why an ambassy would recommend a hotel like this. I will contact the ambassy of Belgium in Bujumbura and ask them to take action against these manners of the middle ages.
• robfets (2/5): No room but a mosquito infested shed - The room I was given had a clear glass door, next to power supply and sattelite receivers. Hundreds of mosquitoes in the room. Frequent power cuts, the generator did not deliver enough power to make the AC's run. In a closed dressoir in the room there were other people's clothes, amenities looked like they could fall apart any moment. Shower did not evacuate the water properly This was a very disappointing experience . To avoid !
• Marcus_and_Wendy (10/5): A superb oasis in Bujumbura - The hotel is a converted colonial residence in a relatively safe and quiet area of Bujumbura. Each room is a different design but what they have in common is that they are all huge, and each has its own large outdoor terrace or balcony. I think there are 8 double rooms in all, and in many respects the ambiance is more like a family guest-house. Most guests were typically short-stay visitors to Burundi and working with government and non-government aid agencies, multi-national companies, etc. Burundi is currently emerging from 15 years of civil war and does not have much of a tourist industry. Room facilities at Clos de Limbas are typical of a guest-house style of accommodation and include a huge and comfortable bed with mosquito net, some colonial-era wooden furniture, small television with English and French feeds (CNN, BBC, etc), refrigerator with complimentary bottled water, en-suite facilities, air-conditioning, wired and wireless broadband. Outside each room is a large private terrace or balcony with lounge and dining furniture. Laundry is done in-house every day by the very obliging staff. Just drop your used clothes in the laundry basket and it is returned, washed and ironed, a few hours later. The private grounds are like a beautiful tropical garden, and there is a small, but adequate, swimming pool. Meals are served at discrete tables located in various parts of the garden, but guests tended to get to know each other and eat together. The food is very good and plenty of it. There is no menu but the staff will talk to you in the morning and make some suggestions. The meals are European inspired with some local touches. A typical breakfast in the tropical garden will include some local fruits (mango, paw-paw, banana, etc), eggs done to your liking, fresh warm bread, coffee. Hard to get up and go to work after that :) The owner is French and speaks almost no English, but several of the staff are ok in English and they made sure that they were on hand when needed. There were mostly only 4 or 5 guests but the staff, in typical Burundian style, is huge - cooks, cleaners, waiters, gate-guards, gardeners, office, etc. I don't think that Le Clos de Limbas does much advertising and you won't find it on the usual booking websites. My stay was organised by the Burundian NGO that I was visiting, and I think that most arrangements are done locally by negotiation. My team got me a rate of US$80 per night for 10 nights. This included all meals, unlimited daily laundry and high-speed Internet. The hotel is in a quiet residential suburb near the Pont Muha, about 5 minutes drive or 15 minutes walk to the city centre.

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